Where do i start?
First off, before i ruffle too many feathers --- I hate wasting ink on this subject-- its all been written, good , bad , ugly and indifferent ---- but these people continually keep entering my orbit on this planet as well for some reason -- part of it is because the equipment they use is similar to the equipment an athlete in training needs , --- so they frequently inhabit my space, -- and on occasion, i inhabit theirs -
i have no qualms about hitting up a cross fit "box" for a workout if i'm out of town and the only alternative is some globo gym --- i pay my fee and as long as there is not an active class in session, i do what i want there
Crossfit has gotten a lot of slack jawed yokels into better shape than they've ever been in -- so not knocking it there
Crossfit has generated renewed interest in the basics - Olympic lifts plus squats and dead-lifting (which really arent basic at all)
This to me is all outweighed by the moaning and the noisemaking that goes on down there -- followed by clapping
LAst night i witnessed someone in the squat rack with 135 on his shoulders furiously banging out squats ---- at the same pace one would do an air squat --- he was banging the bar against the safety catches every single rep
This boy did this perhaps 15 times to wild applause ---- i was thinking - "What are you geeks clapping for? -- the squat should be done in a controlled fashion, even if the weight is light - there are instances where the push is done briskly with lighter weight to generate greater fast twitch neuro-transmitter firing, but the recovery is typically done in a slower, controlled fashion, -- not bouncing the weight wildly off the stays -
I cant say he was really hurting the equipment, but its an unnecessary distraction --- i mean, if you are 6 reps deep into an 8 rep set with an appropriate quantity of weight and you spazz out and bang the bar against the uprights, - so be it --- but this celebration of noise making was ridiculous
The problem was --- in someone's mind's eye -- they looked like this
But the truth was something closer to this
When you are seeing this -- and you look at the gym mirror and wink at yourself -
Everybody else sees this ---
Another peeve is when Cross Fitters (or anybody really) hit the Olympic lifts with gusto --- before they can even execute the base movements properly
Why do i single out the beginning cross fitters? - Its because they are the only beginners silly enough to incorporate these into their system --
-- the average new years resolution gym duffer usually putts around the gym in a state of confusion for the first month or two trying to figure out what to do --- plus most "normal" gyms physically dont have the space for the Oly lifts -- heck i worked out at a gym where the power racks and smith machines and everything else was stacked close enough that even pulling a bar out to do some deadlifts off the floor was a problem
But the average national or olympic level weightlifting trainee usually has at least a couple of years of powerlifting and strength building experience as a base before moving into the complex stuff with heavy weights
--- spend some time learning the hang clean, basic power clean and deadlift before trying to master the clean and jerk or snatch ---
Why is the deadlift important when it is incorporated into the movement itself? --- because a person who can dead 400 is always going to have a better clean than someone who can dead 250
The full clean and jerk, likewise is a specialized lift comprised of several different components that can be trained separately to boost the strength necesary to handle more weight
--- the squat is another movement that can be done separately to boost strength
If you try to boost your strength doing full clean and jerks all the time -- yes, i'm sure you will get stronger , but results will lag behind someone separating the complimentary lift training and training for strength first, then power --- as the olympic lifts are all about power (the rapid application of force)
Am i saying dont do Olympic lifts? -- No -- work on mastering them with some light bumper plates first, - but initially focus on the lifts that feed and support these movements -- deadlift, squat and hang clean --- it will work out better for you in the end if you ever advance past novice stage in your lifting
A quick word about novice , intermediate and expert stages of weightlifting
I wont go into beginner status, because that is self explanatory
A novice should have about 6 months experience minimum and should progress to where they can handle decent working loads executed with acceptable form ---- lest you consider the "novice" label a knock -- its not .
A lot of athletes who are training for other sports stay at the novice weightlifting level because they do not lift weights to be weight lifters, they are lifting to improve their sports performance and weightlifting is just one tool in the arsenal to get there ---
-- and novice has nothing to do with strength -- some guys can walk into a weight room and deadlift 405 or bench press 250 their first day -- the world is full of people like that -- but just look at what they call a rep at NFL 225 challenge in the combine --- guys literally bouncing the bar off their chest and belly to eke out a few more reps
-- i'd be more impressed if they had powerlifting judges there to tell them it doesnt count if they start bouncing it, or doing half reps
An expert in my opinion would be someone who is actively engaged in weightlifting as a sport, -- has received professional coaching and may be a coach themselves ---- but sadly, not all coaches are "experts" - and neither are all the competitors at an average powerlifting meet
--- those guys' arent reading my blog (well, a couple of them are actually) -- they have other forums and conversational outlets where they can discuss the idiosyncrasies of different grades of lifting chalk , and how much better their old Inzer bench shirt was than the new one and so on
And regarding the Cross Fitters who gallavant around my gym space for an hour or so every other night
Act like you've been there before --- the moaning and the nosemaking and clapping is irritating to the guys that are there to do some work in a silent, grim and determined fashion
Look at the guys in the background here ----- nobody gives a flip that this guy is kissing the floor with his butt with a sizable load across his back
Bodybuilders arent very strong either because they are only interested in vanity ---- LOL
Thats it for this week ---
Eat clean, keep training and always remember Rome wasn't built in a day when your goals seem far away
Shoot me an email if you have any specific questions (link below) - and thanks for reading again !
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---- Doug
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disclaimer: The information contained here is not intended to replace the medical advice of your physician and is not intended as medical advice. This newsletter/blog is a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the staff of Fitclaimspro.com and professional colleagues unless otherwise noted
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